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b"sdThe world of phones. All kinds of calls;incoming,out going,instant messaging and even skype.And how about call waiting.When i was a child you simply got a busy signal and tried again.If it was an emergency you called the operator and made an emergency interruption.Some people when they see a missed call automaticaly call back and some only if the party leaves a message.And of course there are the calls we are happy to receive and those we let the machine take. We only choose the calls we make;our level of finesse is more telling in how we handle those we receive.Have a good one; h

Ramot Naftaly, Barbera 2010: My lovely Barby... This was the third time I had this wine and it is by far and IMHO the very best Barby in Israel (there are not so many I know). The last TN I wrote on this wine described it as light to medium-bodied. WHAT?! I guess I wasn't in good shape that day... Dark purple with on the nose smoked wood, warm blackberries, minerals wet forest floor and vanilla. Medium, perhaps medium to full-bodied with on the palate crushed ripe berries, lovely earthiness with loamy dirt, black truffles, raspberries and currants with bracing acid, smoked wood, spicy chocolate and soft, integrated tannins on the long finish. This is truly a gorgeous wine that I believe is already in drink-now mode given the soft tannins yet its very good and balanced acid should allow it to hold for another 1-2 years, I wish more. 14% Abv. Only 1500 bottles produced.

Shabbat Lunch:

Livni, Sde Calev, Pinot Noir 2009: Still young, full-bodied and showing jammy raspberries. Throwing as always TONS of sediments though I manage to keep those a the bottle's bottom and with still huge mouth-coating, chewy tannins. Not quite Pinot-ish but a real joy nonetheless. The only Pinot Noir I'd be happy to pair with a juicy steak...

Ramot Naftaly, Petit Verdot 2010: First time tasting the new vintage. Dark inky purple, even black, with on the nose youthful green notes of wet wood and cilantro along notes of sweet blackberries, nutmeg and plums. Full-bodied with on the palate raspberries, plums, red currants, sweet cedar, a bit of spice with good acid and dry tannins coating the mouth on the long finish. A very good PV though I liked the 2009 better, very well-made with no overripe fruit and good balance, thumbs up to Ytzik Cohen the winemaker again for his expertise with these varieties (Barby, PV and Malbec, the Shiraz is very good as well).

Friday night - A real treat. Ella Valley "Vineyard's Choice - Personal" 2008. This is a Cab/Syrah blend which we tasted at the winery in December, 2011, and I had them ship me a case of six. This is the first bottle we opened. Intense tobacco on the nose and in the mouth along with leather. Not much fruit until the finish, then a burst of beautiful fruity sweetness. Brawny. We adored it. I am curious to know whether this wine is distributed in Israel or whether it is available only at the winery. Also, should I be surprised that the label doesn't mention the fact that it's a shmittah wine?

Saturday - Yarden Vigornoir 2006. Hungarian/Kosherwine.com just put this on sale and I asked Matt if they think it's still any good. I bought a bunch out of their discount bin and several bottles were fit only for cooking, this one was OK but definitely seemed to be in the "drink now, and I mean NOW" category. Matt said they'd tasted a couple of bottles and they were OK< but I'd be wary.

Friday night - 2003 Ellay Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Not surprisingly, starting to brown around the edges but otherwise still holding lovely color. Musty, earthy nose that let's you know without a doubt that you are about to partake of a 100% varietal CS. Wonderfully smooth tannins, fruit is still quite evident. Very pleasant finish that lingers on the palate. I'm not sure if the 2003 can be found anywhere these days; I feared it was possibly getting a bit long in tooth so I decided to open it now. Reminds me of how Ella Valley in many ways still kind of flies below many people's radars.

Shabbos lunch - alas, no wine(s) to report. Our in shul after-davening kiddush gathering featured a bevvy of smoked fishes, sliced hard salami and chopped liver -- both smoothly pureed and chunky. Accompanied with 2 or 3 or more single-malts, when I got home I was content to have another dram or two with my meal. Also, my wife and I were the only over 21s at the lunch table and I didn't want to leave a half (ok, quarter) full bottle lingering.

Probably going to Skyview later today to do my Pesach shopping. Still unsure what to buy/drink at the Seders. I want something simple but dry for most of my guests (red and non-mevushal) and something a bit better for me, my wife and any others who will appreciate the difference. Unlike many here, I am a strong believer in not using a top-drawer, expensive wine for the 4 kosos as IMHO such wines are meant to be food wines. I just don't enjoy them essentially straight-up and out of a silver becher.

Hi; my daughters in laws were in Yehoshuas store and asked him what to get me(shloach manot) and thus this week I had the Tishbi malbec. Good choice on Y's part yet I didn't find the wine interesting as many in the forum did. Found it short in flavors and in finish. By day gamla merlot 07,still drinkable but losing the body it showed several months ago.h

Hey Isaac - all of the 1848 wines were way over the top for me, filled with dried fruits, dates, raisin and the such. Some folks do not care and others like it, I do not like in your face new world/fruit bomb wines. Again, my opinion

Some folks do not care and others like it, I do not like in your face new world/fruit bomb wines.

When I first started drinking wines, the "fruit bombs" and, later, wines with great depth, had great appeal as I made my way into the "world of wine." However, as the years go by, and not necessarily a result of increasing sophistication, I find that I prefer all the elements necessary in a good wine to be there, but a lot "quieter" than before. I notice that I prefer discovering what is in a great wine to being told by the wine that it is great.

On a lighter note, but in the same vein, I often flinch when you approvingly describe some quality of a wine as SCREAMING, crazy, or (the ultimate) CRAZY. At my age, can't handle SCREAMING, at all. Maybe lower case crazy, but not upper case CRAZY.

Isaac Chavel wrote:On a lighter note, but in the same vein, I often flinch when you approvingly describe some quality of a wine as SCREAMING, crazy, or (the ultimate) CRAZY. At my age, can't handle SCREAMING, at all. Maybe lower case crazy, but not upper case CRAZY.

Fri Night - Landsman PN 2011 - sorry that this was my second-to=last bottle as the wine was delicious. A great contrast to the much heavier, but still great, Landsman ZinSat Lunch - Affligem Tripel, the world's greatest

Reyes del Imperio Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - The nose is quite muted, the palate dull, and the body light. While I won't consider it a faulty wine, it doesn't have much to offer, lacking fruit, tannin and weight. This is a Spanish wine, that is selling for about $7, and at that price it was very enticing for people to use as gifts in their Purim baskets. C-/**/N

The leftovers of the Drappier Carte Blanche was better than before with a layer of strawberry veiling the grapefruit notes. I still don't find it to be on a level above the Adar Cava and the Yarden Brut, neither of which is outstanding. For my son's upcoming bar mitzva I plan on serving the Drappier Carte D'Or, not that I'm convinced its the best sparkling wine for the price, but wanting a change from the Hagafen sparklers I usually serve, and having sampled both versions of the Drappier, I opted for the Carte D'Or. Once limiting oneself to mevushal, the pickins are slim. (haven't had the Luis de Sacy, but I don't see myself getting around to evaluating it in time).

I'm beginning to look forward to Passover, when I'll get back to my hedonistic habits.

Thanks for reminding me; however, I want to serve something better than that, and I'm hoping the Carte D'Or proves to be better. The Champagne is designated as an apertif. The white will be the Prix Sauvignon Blanc 2010, the red will be the Hagafen Zinfandel 2004. The dessert wine will be the Prix Late Harvest Chardonnay 2006. And for those wanting an off dry (or semi-sweet), I'll probably serve one of the Hagafen Rieslings, with my leanings towards the Prix version.

Covenant Lavan 2010 Chardonnay- This wine is so much better after a year in bottle. Lovely!Shirah McGinley Syrah- when this wine first came out, I was not impressed- not sure if there was bottle variation or if it was just me. Well the bottle I opened over Shabbat was superb, dense layers of dark fruit, some animal fat, nice acidity and friendly tannins.

Landsman Zin- OK- I give up. I am just not overpowered by this one like others are. My take is that it is very pleasant, fruit forward wine with a charmingly restrained bouquet and tannins that just melt away with a little air. It is somewhat monolithic but a pleasure to drink. In context, being a higher end wine and following the terrific Landsman Pinot Noir, it is a bit disappointing. So remove the context from your mind and enjoy!! Shavua Tov!!

Jonathan K wrote:Landsman Zin- OK- I give up. I am just not overpowered by this one like others are. My take is that it is very pleasant, fruit forward wine with a charmingly restrained bouquet and tannins that just melt away with a little air. It is somewhat monolithic but a pleasure to drink. In context, being a higher end wine and following the terrific Landsman Pinot Noir, it is a bit disappointing. So remove the context from your mind and enjoy!! Shavua Tov!!